Birthday Promises
by DreamFire.Vee
Summary: A long one-shot. Emma's birthday is coming up and Regina has designed a little treasure hunt for her. Join Emma as she hunts round Storybrooke for her gift. SwanQueen set about 5 years after they first meet.


**Birthday Promises**

Regina sat behind her desk in her office at the Town Hall tapping a pen against blood red lips. It was a week until Emma's birthday and Regina had decided that today was the day to start planning the surprise. She had already purchased the gift she wanted to give Emma and now she was planning how she was going to do it.

She already had several things in place and she had made sure, much to Emma's disapproval and sadness that the blonde would be 'working' on her birthday. Of course David was already in on the plan along with Snow and was going to cover the shift, but Emma did not know that.

Regina glanced at the clock and saw it was time to pack up and head home for the night and decided she would make a few more phone calls in the morning to put the final touches into place.

* * *

On the morning of her birthday Emma woke to the sound of her alarm and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She blindly swung her hand out to snooze the alarm and then rolled over expecting to find Regina there beside her, but the bed was already empty. Emma slowly sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked over at the bed side table.

Sat on top of it was a steaming mug of coffee and a hand written note. She lent over and grabbed the piece of paper and unfolded it to read the words.

 _Happy Birthday Emma,_

 _I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you wake up but I have a mountain of paper work to get through and you do have to go to work. I will see you later tonight when you get home. I hope you have a lovely day._

 _Love_

 _Regina_

Emma flopped back onto the pillows still clutching the note in her hand when the snooze alarm sounded again. She sat back up and silenced the alarm before sighing. She got out of bed and taking the cup of coffee with her headed into the en suite to take a shower.

When she had showered and changed she headed downstairs to the kitchen expecting to find Henry sat at the breakfast bar eating his usual bowl of cereal before school. However the house was quiet and Henry was not in the kitchen. Instead where he would normally be sat she found a card with her name on the front in Henry's hand writing.

She walked over and picked the card up and slipped it out of the envelope. It had a picture of a yellow bug exactly like her own on the front and she gave a small smile. She opened the card to see Henry's birthday wish inside and a small note to say how he couldn't wait to see her later. No explanation as to where he was right then but Emma guessed that Regina had sorted him out so that she didn't have to take him to school on her birthday.

Suddenly she felt very alone. She and Regina had been dating for two and a half years and this was the first birthday where Emma had woken up to a quiet and empty house. She had started to take for granted that her family would be there in the mornings and that they would have breakfast together before heading out to drop Henry off at school and then head on to work.

She had wanted that this morning, to wake up in the brunette's arms and have a whispered happy birthday hummed into her ear. She had wanted them to take a hot steamy shower together and then have breakfast before she had to leave to start her shift.

She looked up at the clock on the wall and realised that if she didn't leave then she would be late for work so she grabbed her keys from the hook, pulled on her dark brown boots before zipping them up, grabbed her black leather jacket out the hall closet and flew out the front door.

* * *

Emma arrived at the station just on time and crashed through the front doors. She walked into her office already pulling her jacket off and hanging it on a hook on the coat rack before turning back to the desk. She ran a finger through long golden locks trying to tame them and was just leaning over to pick up the phone to check for messages when a neatly wrapped box caught her eye.

She walked round the desk and sat in her office chair before using the edge of the desk to pull herself forward. She picked up the box and inspected it but there was no note or label attached. She shook it but no sound came from within.

She pulled off the wrapping paper and inside was a small black velvet box, with a lid, that sort of looked like the kind jewellery would come in. She took the lid off and inside was a small strip of paper folded over in half. She pulled the paper out and unfolded it to read.

 ** _I promise to always be honest with you. Kind, patient and forgiving._**

It had been typed up and so Emma couldn't tell who had sent it. Following on from this little promise was a drawn picture of a coffee cup. Emma looked around the room, as if she expected someone to be in the office, which she knew wasn't possible as she had unlocked the door when she came in, then back at the piece of paper.

Just then David walked into the station and saw Emma sitting in her office with a confused look on her face. He tapped lightly on the door frame and smiled when Emma looked up at him.

"Happy Birthday Emma," he paused as he noticed Emma's expression "hey, you okay?" he asked her as he stepped further into the small office space and propped himself on the end of her desk.

"Yeah, I think so. This was left on my desk, I found it when I came in but there is no name attached" she held the piece of paper out to him so he could have closer look himself. He looked it over and held it back out to her.

"Looks like someone wants you to follow the trail" he said tapping the picture of the coffee cup which she now noticed had the logo for Granny's Diner drawn onto it.

"Well how am I supposed to do that when I have to work?" she replied taking the slip of paper off David and leaning backwards in the office chair. She placed the piece of paper back into the box and put the lid back on.

"Go," David said standing up and walking round to Emma and pulling her to her feet by her hands, "I will cover your shift and you go and solve the mysterious present, its not right for you to be working on your birthday anyway."

"I couldn't ask you to do that, I'm sure it can wait until I've finished my shift."

"You're not asking, I'm telling you. Go and solve the mystery and I will see you later, you can make it up to me some other time." He told his daughter with a fatherly smile.

Emma walked back over and unhooked her jacket from the stand before shrugging herself into it. She turned and gave her dad a quick hug and a warm smile.

"Thanks, I promise I will make it up to you. See you later" and with that she walked out onto Main Street and scanned up and down before taking the box and slip of paper out and scanning it over again, she headed over to her yellow bug and got into the drivers seat. It looked like her first stop would be Granny's.

* * *

As Emma walked into the Diner the little bell above the door jingled, a few of the customers glanced up and looked her way and few even said happy birthday to her as she made her way over to the counter. She perched up onto one of the tall bar stools and slid a near by newspaper over to herself as she waited her turn to be served.

A few minutes past and Ruby sauntered up to the blonde sheriff pulling a pen and note pad out of her apron pocket before leaning on the counter.

"Happy birthday Emma! What can I get for you? It will be on the house." Ruby flashed her mega watt smile which Emma happily returned.

"Thanks Rubes, umm I will just take a vanilla coffee to go thanks," Emma took a quick look round the diner to see if she could spot anymore little boxes but didn't see anything immediately "got a few errands to run today." Emma knew she was lying to her best friend but she didn't want to say anything to Ruby just yet in case it was a joke at her expense.

"One vanilla coffee to go coming right up" Ruby picked up the note pad and spun away to go and fill Emma's order. The sheriff went back to skimming over the newspaper and sneaking glances out the corner of her eye for any suspicious packages or to see who was walking through the door as new people came in.

A few minutes had passed when Ruby was once again stood in front of her on the other side of the counter and slid the large take out coffee cup across to Emma with a big grin on her face. Emma shot her a questioning look but Ruby didn't say anything else. The tall slim brunette just slipped her hand back into her apron pocket and pulled out another small package and slid it across to the blonde.

"Have a good day Emma" was all she said as she turned on her heel and walked away, going back to tend to the other customers in the diner. Emma picked up the small package looking at the carefully wrapped object. She didn't want to open it in front of all these people, or Ruby, and so slipped it in her pocket and as she slid off the stool she grabbed her coffee and left.

Once safely back inside her car with the engine running to try and get some heat into the cab, she took the box out of her pocket and turned it all around once again looking for a name or a label and again finding nothing. She took the wrapping paper off and found another little black box waiting for her. She opened it carefully not wanting to loose any of the contents and inside was another slip of folded paper which she carefully removed and unfolded to read.

 ** _I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you._**

Unlike last time however there was no little drawing of a coffee cup following it, this time there was a small picture of an arrow. Emma smiled to herself as she sat in the slowly warming car. She had an idea who was behind this little treasure hunt but she couldn't work out the meaning.

If Regina had just wanted her to go looking for her present why not give her cryptic clues to locations, why was she making promises. The other alternative which was still playing on her mind that she was completely wrong and that this was still some kind of joke on her but how had they got Ruby involved.

Emma quickly made her mind up that she would carry on with this little game and see where it would lead. She may even uncover more clues as to who was behind it. She looked down at the note one more time to make sure the next clue was definitely an arrow before folding it back up and placing it back inside the box. She pulled other box out and placed them both on the passenger seat in order than she had received them.

Emma put her little bug into gear and pulled away from the diner heading towards the forest, there was only one person who was better than Snow White with an arrow in Storybrooke and so Emma set off in hunt of Robin Hood.

* * *

Emma parked her little yellow bug at the side of the road in the middle of the woods that surrounded Storybrooke. She got out and closed the car door behind her, zipped up her leather jacket and took off along the trail the lead deeper into the woods.

She knew where the Merry Men had set up their camp and so headed in that direction. It was quite a way into the woods as they liked their privacy and didn't like to mix too much with the other people in town. As Emma neared their camp she slowed down and hung back in the borders waiting to see if she could see Robin anywhere.

She spotted him on the far side of the camp playing with Roland as Marian watched on. Emma still had not been spotted by anyone and so made her way slowly and quietly around the perimeter of the camp, not really wanting to be spotted, until she was beside the family. She stepped out from behind the last tree and took a few steps towards them.

Robin looked up noticing the movement out of the corner of his eye and stood up to greet the blonde sheriff. He did not hold his hand out but bowed his head slightly in recognition of her authority.

"Emma," he greeted, "come this way, I have something for you." He turned on his heel but rather than head into camp as she expected they headed away and towards the stream than ran close by. Emma heard it before she saw it and was feeling a little confused as to why they were going there but decided to roll with it.

Once they had reached the bank Robin stopped and spun to face her, his face serious but not at all threatening. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another wrapped present but made no attempt to move and give it to her. She shot him a questioning look.

"First let me offer my warmest wishes to you on your birthday," he smiled which she returned, "I know things between us have always been a little odd, especially since the whole Regina/Marian thing, but I do wish you the best."

Once he had finished he extended his arm towards her and held the present out. She quickly reached for it and took it from him offering him a small smile.

"Thank you Robin, that does mean a lot to me," she replied to the man and then looked around a little uncomfortable at being there, "I had better head back, I hope you have a nice day." She set off back through the forest, looking over to Marian and Roland as she passed. The little brunette boy gave her a big enthusiastic wave which she returned to him.

She walked away from the camp and back towards her bug and once she was out of sight from the camp she ripped the paper off the little box and opened the lid to retrieve the small bit of paper which she hastily unfolded.

 ** _I promise to be your partner in parenthood._**

Well there was no doubt in her mind now as to who was sending her these notes. There was only one person who this would relate too and she was tempted to go straight to Regina and find out what she was playing at. She also knew that if she did that and ruined it, that the brunette would be very upset.

Emma decided she would carry on this little treasure hunt as her girlfriend had obviously gone through a lot of effort and she really didn't want to ruin that so she looked back at the note to see what the next clue was and on the slip of paper was drawn a small wavy dagger.

Emma suddenly realised just how much effort her girlfriend had gone too if she had some how persuaded Gold into helping her with this little treasure hunt. So she climbed back into her bug and headed back into the heart of Storybrooke.

* * *

Emma pulled her little yellow bug up outside the front door to Gold's shop and killed the engine. She looked over to the passenger seat and at the slowly growing collection of boxes and notes and she wondered how many more she had to go.

Emma really didn't like going to see Gold for anything, but decided that if Regina could make the effort to go in and see him to work all this out, she could bite the bullet and go in as well.

She slowly climbed out of the bug and shut the door gently trying to drag the moment out as long as possible and bide her time. She walked over to the shop door and pushed it open, being greeted by the little ringing bell. She looked up as she walked further in and was not surprised to see Gold already stood behind the counter looking up at her.

Nothing was said by either of them as he slowly reached down behind his counter and brought up another perfectly wrapped box. He placed it on the counter in front of him and pushed it towards the blonde.

Emma took a couple of steps forward but did not reach out to take the object as Gold's hand was still on top of it. He gave her a mischievous smile as he retracted his hand and turned to walk into the back room of the store.

Emma waited a few moments before reaching out and plucking the small gift off of the counter top and clutching it to her chest never taking her eyes off of the man. She spun on her heel and headed for the same door she had walked in through only moments before. Just as she was about to step out she heard Gold call front the back room.

"Happy birthday Sheriff" was called out to the blonde with a fairly pleasant tone to his voice. Emma quickly stepped out of the store and quickly dove back into the comfort of her car. Once sitting comfortably she once again took the beautiful paper off of the little black box and opened the lid. She placed the box in its place on her passenger seat and once again read the little note.

 _ **I promise to be your ally in conflict**_

A smile spread over her face as she though of the irony that it was Gold who had given her this message, although now she thought about it every message had been given to her by someone the notes corresponded too. Ruby was a friend, Robin was a parent and the message from Gold about being allies was just funny.

Emma looked back at the piece of paper excited to find out where she was going next and who she was going to see, and there drawn right next to the clue was a small picture of a boat, or more specifically a pirate ship. Emma started the engine and headed towards to docks.

* * *

It took Emma quite a while to find a space to park down at the docks and suddenly regretted that she couldn't have brought the cruiser and just parked anywhere. Finally she found a small gap that was just about large enough that she could squeeze the little yellow bug into it.

She slowly extracted herself from the car making sure her door didn't hit the car parked next to her and headed back up the road to the actual docks. She stepped onto them and headed straight for Hooks ship. She casually swept the surrounding area with green orbs that were on alert knowing the sometimes Hook would go and take a bit of a wander or wake up on the benches, but there was no sign of him.

She moved towards the only pirate ship that was docked and stepped onto the landing steps. She didn't really know what the proper procedure was to announce oneself onto a ship. It wasn't like there was a front door with a bell or a knocker and so as she climbed the steps and stepped over the shallow railing into the top deck she decided that she would just go with good old fashion yelling.

"Hook?! Are you here?" she shouted but couldn't see or hear anything obvious in response and so decided to head toward the wooden steps that led to the quarters below deck. She had just put on foot onto the top step when a noise behind her caught her attention and she whirled round to face it.

"Swan! What are you doing aboard my ship love? I have been looking for you." Hook took a couple more steps toward her and a cold shiver ran all the way down Emma's spine. She didn't like being near Hook at the best of times but it was clear from the smell and the slight slurring of his words that he had already started on the rum.

"I was actually looking for you Hook, I think you may have something for me?" she replied as she put a hand out towards him to steady him but at the same time stop him coming any closer.

"Ah yes, as a matter of fact I do" He reached into the pocket of his long leather jacket and pulled out another small perfectly wrapped box. Emma raised her hand and waiting for the pirate to deposit the box into it. She still hand her other hand up keeping him from getting too close as he always got a little too forward when he was drunk.

As if on cue Hook took a large step forward and got right into Emma's personal space. Emma quickly took the box from his hand and then ducked round him heading back for the landing stairs. Just as she got there though she felt a hand land on her upper arm and she turned to glare up at its owner.

"Take your hand off me!" Emma hissed at him while staring him straight in the eye.

"Oh come on Swan, it's your birthday and I want to give you a birthday kiss" he replied slurring his words a little while trying to turn Emma to face him. She didn't even give him a chance though as she brought her knee up right into his groin. He doubled over as he let out a long low groan but Emma just stood there smiling.

"Catch you later Hook." She said cheerily as she made her way off the boat and back to her little yellow bug. She slid into the driver's seat and quickly tore the paper off the little box, and then Emma took out the slip of paper to read.

 ** _I promise to be your comrade in adventure._**

Once again it was certainly fitting that Hook had given her this line, he had been on many an adventure in his some 300 years of existence. Emma couldn't help the warm and genuine smile that appeared on her face. Regina had thought through every single one of these promises so far and more she read the more a warm, content feeling was creeping into her heart and growing with each line.

Emma once again looked back at the paper to find the next clue which was a small blue book drawn at the end of the sentence. Emma placed the paper back in the box and then placed the box with the others, in the correct order, on the passenger seat before starting the engine and heading back to Main Street and Belle at the library.

* * *

Emma parked in her usual space at the Sheriffs station as the library was situated just up the street. She got out and locked her car and headed up Main Street to the iconic clock tower. She knew the likely hood was that Belle would be there as she had not been at Gold's shop earlier in the day, at least not that Emma had seen.

She pulled the library door towards her and it swung open easily. It was lovely and warm inside compared to outside as the winter weather was starting to push in and the need for thicker jackets and scarves was fast approaching.

Emma let the door swing shut behind her and she walked over to the counter so see if Belle was sat behind it but she was no where to be seen. She gave a quick look around the library but still there was no sign of the young.

Emma wasn't worried or concerned though as she knew Belle kept some of the books down in a storage room if they needed to be sorted and so she was probably down there. Emma walked round the library skimming over the titles of some of the books.

She stopped at the cookery section and picked up a book that was titled "Quick and Easy Meals for Beginners". She flipped through some of the pages and the recipes looked anything but quick or easy and so with a sigh placed the book back on the shelf.

One day she would cook Regina a meal instead of allowing her to do all the cooking or Emma taking her out for dinner. However it did not look like Emma would be getting any inspiration coming her way today.

"Emma!" Belle suddenly called out from behind her and Emma turned round with a smile "Happy Birthday!"

"Aw, thanks Belle. I guess it's kind of hard for you all to forget which day it is really." Emma gave a small pout to which Belle playfully gave her a small punch on her arm.

"Yeah I can imagine it that isn't always a nice thing for you," she said with a sympathetic smile, "anyway I have something for you. I was told you would be by to collect it at some point today."

Belle walked back to the very large wooden welcome desk and took a set of keys out of her pocket. She unlocked one of the desk draws and pulled out another small well wrapped box and handed it over to Emma.

Emma picked it up and spun it around in her hands already knowing what it was going to contain but not wanting to open it in front of anyone else. She slid it into her jacket pocket and smiled at Belle.

"Thank you. We really need a catch up soon; it's been way too long. Maybe a girls night out?"

"I'm sure Ruby and the others would totally be up for that. We'll sort something out," the brunette finished as she could clearly see the Sheriff was impatient to leave and open the surprise, "have a good day." With that she picked up a small stack of books and headed back into the stacks of shelves. Emma left the library but didn't head back to the bug. Instead she went and sat on a bench across the road and opened her next little box.

 ** _I promise to be your student and your teacher._**

This time the little picture that accompanied the text was that of a black umbrella. Emma turned round in her seat and looked up at the building behind her before jumping to her feet, putting the little box into her jacket pocket and heading toward the office door of Archie.

* * *

She climbed the stairs up to Archie's office door but then realised that she didn't know if he was currently in a session with someone or whether he was free. Emma decided to bite the bullet and chance that he was free and so knocked three times on the wooden door.

After a few moments, where Emma could hear shuffling coming form inside the room, the wooden door opened and Archie's face appeared before her. Before she had even had a chance to say hello to Archie, Pongo came trotting over and shoved his head in her hand looking for attention.

"Hello Emma, I have been expecting you to pop by at some point today, why don't you come in?" he said in a quiet and kind voice while pushing the door to his office open even further.

Emma smiled at him and stepped into the office. She walked straight over to the window and looked down at the street below. She heard Archie close the door behind her and take a seat over in his usual chair. She spun round and gave him a warm smile and she went and sat on the worn couch opposite him.

"How are you Emma? Been keeping yourself busy?" he asked her. It was true that Emma had not really seen Archie lately as Pongo had been behaving himself and had not escaped in at least 2 week which, since Emma had been in Storybrooke at least, was a record.

"Yeah thank you Archie, been fairly busy. Been trying to get the town into good order before the bad weather and the cold really start to kick in, winter is drawing in pretty fast this year." Archie smiled at her response and then asked her another question which she almost expected.

"And how are things between yourself and Regina?" It was a fair question. In the beginning of their relationship they had come to Archie, both together and separately to try and navigate some of the more difficult areas of their relationship but it had been a long while since either of them had been in for a session.

"Things are going really well, I have been living with Regina and Henry at the house now for a good year and a half and I don't know about Regina but I'm happy" She replied as a large grin spread across her face as she thought of her gorgeous brunette girlfriend.

Archie returned the smile and then got up from his chair and walked over to his desk which stood against the wall by the door. He pulled open the top draw on the left hand side and pulled a now familiar looking package from inside. He turned back round to face Emma and held it out for her.

She stood from the couch and took a couple of paces towards Archie and allowed her finger to reach out and wrap around the little wrapped box. Archie didn't immediately let go though and looked up at Emma straight into sea green eyes.

"If you ever need to talk Emma, my door is always open. But just remember to take a few deep breaths before doing anything. Happy birthday." He smiled again and let go of the little box allowing Emma to take it to her and hold it against her chest.

"Thank you, Archie." She turned and pulled open the office door once again and stepped into the hallway. She walked back down the stairs and out of the front door. It was getting colder now as the day wore on and so she headed back to her bug at the sheriffs station so she could sit in the relative warmth to open her box.

She climbed into the driver seat and set the first box from Belle with the other before wrapping the paper on the second and pulled the lid open. Her fingers picked out the slip of paper and unfolded it to read.

 ** _I promise to be a sanctuary of warmth and peace._**

Emma smiled at the promise and again it did not pass her over how fitting it was that Archie had been the one to give it too her. She looked back down at the piece of paper to see where the next clue was going to be taking her; a small stethoscope had been drawn next to the promise. Emma started up the little yellow bug and made her way towards Storybrooke General Hospital.

* * *

Emma pulled her bug into the nearest parking space to the front of the hospital that she could so she didn't have to walk that far. She locked the driver door and headed into the Emergency department not knowing exactly how busy Whale was going to be. She walked through the main doors of the Emergency Department and up to the sterile white desk.

"Hey, umm, do you know where I can find Whale?" Emma said as she leant onto the top of the desk and smiled at the receptionist.

"He is in surgery right now and has been in there for a few hours, he shouldn't be much longer. Did you want me to pass a message onto him for you?" she replied politely.

"No it's ok, if he isn't going to be much longer I will just sit and wait for him. Thank you." Emma took herself off towards the waiting area, stopping by the vending machine that did the good coffee; being Sheriff you learnt a thing or two about the hospital vending machines.

After waiting for her drink to pour she placed herself in one of the more comfortable chairs and settled in, picking up a National Geographic magazine from the small table in the corner and flicking through only really looking at the pictures.

After an hour Emma was starting to get anxious, time was ticking on and she wanted to get home early enough to spend some time with Regina who she hoped was cooking her favourite, lasagne.

A few minutes later Whale could be heard coming up the corridor telling the nurses specific instructions on how to look after the patient he had just operated on. Emma got up off her chair and headed back over to the reception area hoping he would swing by that area.

Whale spotted Emma and held up a single index finger at her letting her know he would be a moment. Emma stayed at the desk shifting her weight from one foot to the other getting a little anxious.

Whale finally finished with his instructions and headed over to the blonde. He stopped in front of her and gave her a questioning look before slipping one hand inside the pocket of his white over coat and bringing out a now familiar package.

"I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, or even got on but I hope you have a lovely birthday Emma." He held the package out and she gladly took it from him. Before she could say anything in reply, however, he turned on his heel and headed back into the depth of the Emergency Department. Emma clutched the box to her chest before she too did the same action in the opposite direction and headed back out to her bug.

She got in and shut her door before tearing the paper off and opening up the little box and removing the paper from inside.

 _ **I promise to encourage your compassion.**_

Emma smiled again at how fitting it was that a promise of compassion would come from a doctor. She looked to the right of the writing to find out where it was she was heading next and saw the familiar shape of a dwarf axe. It looked like Emma was heading to the mines.

* * *

Emma rolled the bug up onto the grass verge at the entrance to the mines. Luckily the Sheriffs department had drawn up plans with the dwarves so that they would always know which sections they would be working in, just in case there was ever a collapse or other crisis.

Emma stepped through the opening and headed towards where they were due to be working. As she got close to her destination she could start to hear the clinks of metal hitting stone and with each step it got louder.

The sticky mine dust had started to cling to the denim of her jeans and she knew that if Regina was already home when Emma arrived she would be made to strip off in the foyer so that she didn't track it all through the house. Not that that stripping off in front of Regina would be a bad thing.

Emma rounded the last corner of her trip into the mine and came face to face with the 7 dwarves. They didn't notice her immediately and Emma didn't know how to interrupt without startling them.

Luckily Leroy must have caught movement out of the corner of his eye and he turned towards her with a smile. He headed over to Emma and stopped in front of her.

"Hey sister, I wondered when you were going to swing by, got something for you." He walked over to a bench to the side of where they were working and pulled out a wrapped box from a pocket on his bag, he walked back over to Emma and shoved it into her hand.

"I'm not one for words, as you know, but don't hold back Emma." He gave her another smile and she suddenly realised the clinks of the axes had stopped. She looked around at the others who were all staring back at her. Leroy looked at them too and gave a subtle nod.

"Happy birthday, Emma!" They all chorused together. Emma felt herself turning red with embarrassment. She quickly said her thanks and turned to make her way back out of the tunnels and into the fresh crisp Storybrooke air.

Emma lent up against the side of the car trying desperately to get some of the mine dust off of her jeans and top but it didn't make much difference, if anything it was just spreading it further around. She pushed her self back into a standing position and unlocked the car before sliding into the driver's seat. She turned her attention to the box, making quick work of the paper and extracting the note from inside.

 ** _I promise to nurture your dreams._**

Emma had been told the story of how Grumpy got his name and so she completely understood why Regina had picked Leroy to deliver this promise. She searched for her next clue seeing a small hand drawn cross bow and a smile spread across her lips as she realised Granny was the source of the next box, she had already been at the diner once and Ruby must have known Granny had another.

As she collected more boxes and more promises she was starting to understand how much Regina loved her, which was both amazing and totally terrifying at the same time, especially for someone like Emma. She was also discovering that no matter how much Emma believed she loved her brunette girlfriend, with each promise, that love was growing bigger and bigger.

* * *

Emma parked round the back of the diner and walked in the back entrance in an attempt to not bump into anyone who may be inside. She crossed paths with a few locals that she knew only by sight and everyone she did see wished her a happy birthday.

She knocked on the side door of the kitchen hoping that Granny was in there rather than out the front where Ruby would be working. She waited a couple of seconds before she opened the door and poked her head round.

"Emma, come in, I won't be a minute I just have to finish this order off." Granny was piling various items onto two plates that were on the counter in front of her. Granny reached behind her to somewhere Emma couldn't see and picked something up before turning round and putting it down in front of Emma.

"I figured you might be hungry by now," Granny said with a pointed look as if she knew Emma hadn't eaten since that morning. Emma's face broke into a big grin as she saw the delicious looking grilled cheese in front of her.

Emma quickly ate the sandwich and was just finishing off her last bite when Granny came back over to her pulling two stools out from under the counter and patting the top of one, indicating for Emma to sit down.

"Now," Granny started looking intensely at Emma, "you know I have always had a soft spot for you Emma. I may have had my differences with Regina in the past but that is exactly what it is, the past." She gave Emma's knee a gentle pat before continuing.

"I know you don't like celebrating your birthday because of all the bad memories from the past, but I hope that soon, you will have a reason to smile on this day." As she finished her sentence she slipped her hand into the large front pocket of her apron and pulled out a familiar looking box.

"You may need some help with this one, so all I am allowed to say is that you're not looking for a person for the next couple of boxes, okay? Happy Birthday Emma." She extended her hand toward Emma with the box sitting on her palm. Emma reached forward and picked the box up and held it in her lap, but didn't move from her position.

"Thank you Granny, for everything you have done for me. Since I have been in Storybrooke with my family and friends I am starting to have much happier memories to remember my birthdays by, well any day for that matter. Since I have been with Regina," a small smile unconsciously worked its way across her face, "well there are new happy memories every day which makes the past ones not quite so bad."

Granny reached out a placed a warm hand on Emma cheek before removing it and standing abruptly. She pushed her stool back under the counter and turned back to Emma.

"Get going, you still have work that needs to be done and so do I" and with that Granny walked away and back into the kitchen to collect the waiting order slips from the kitchen window.

Emma stood and pushed her stool back under the counter with Granny's and headed back out the way she came and back to the confines of the bug. Taking the small piece of paper out of the box she unfolded it and read the waiting promise.

 ** _I promise to help shoulder our challenges._**

Next to this was a little red heart, surprisingly life like, drawn in black and red ink. Emma sat and thought for a while because Granny had said it was not a person she was looking for next. Then a light bulb went of in her head and she knew exactly where this promise was going to take her. She turned the key in the ignition and set off on the road out of Storybrooke.

* * *

Emma turned off of the main road she was travelling down and drove past the large black gates that signaled the entrance to the Storybrooke cemetery. She parked the bug into one of the spaces and got out.

She checked her watch and realised that it was late afternoon already and that she had been doing this treasure hunt nearly all day and it wouldn't be long until Regina would expect her home.

She took off across the grass towards where she hoped the next box was waiting for her. She weaved in and out of the various headstones that littered the grass and made her way to the more secluded area towards the back.

Looming in the distance and coming closer with every step was Regina's large stone vault which still housed most of her magical possessions and also her mother and father. There were only three people who could get into the vault unassisted my magic which were Regina, Henry and herself so she knew there would be no problem.

She walked up to the large wooden door and pushed it open stepping inside at the same time. She looked around and didn't see anything that looked like one of her little boxes so she set to work in pushing the large stone casket of Regina's father over so she could go down into the depths of the vault.

She walked down the stone steps, foot falls echoing around her and came to the bottom into a little corridor, she turned left and headed into the main room where all of Regina's potions, books and magical objects were kept.

On the back wall in one of little alcoves was illuminated by a soft pink glow. Emma walked towards it and picked up the little box. She took a seat on top of one of the large wooden chest in the room and opened the box. She pulled out the little slip of paper and unfolded it.

 ** _I promise to be your partner in all things._**

Emma smiled to herself; there was absolutely no doubt in her mind that these messages were coming from Regina. Each time she received one she felt lighter and happier than she had done in a long time and each time that feeling only grew.

"You already are" whispered Emma into the empty room.

Emma searched the piece of paper so that she could find the location of the next promise, knowing, thanks to Granny it again wasn't going to be a person. There was a perfectly drawn picture of an apple tree and Emma immediately knew, she was headed back home.

* * *

Emma pulled into the driveway of the house, in her usual parking space, and got out of the bug not bothering to lock it this time. She walked round the front of the house, past the front door and to the side gate which lead to the back garden.

She walked a little way in amongst the gorgeous autumn flowers and headed to Regina's beloved apple tree. Emma knew that this tree meant a lot to her girlfriend. They had been through a lot together and she knew Regina took great care of it.

She ran her hand over the scarred bark of the trunk where she had cut off a whole limb with a chainsaw in her first couple of days in town. It still hurt her to this day when she remembered back to that moment. She had been so angry with the brunette for trying to make her leave town and everyone had told Emma about the tree and so the logical way of hurting her had been to cause it damage.

Now it only served as a reminder of how far they had come and what they had been through as well. Emma had once asked Regina why she hadn't healed it after she got her magic back.

"It reminds me of our progress. Every time I look at that tree I remember what we were like in the beginning and how we are now. It is a part of our shared history and I wouldn't change that for anything."

Emma smiled to herself as she recalled the words. She reached up too where two large branches grew up in a V and nestled at the point was another box. She pulled it down and then sat at the base, leaning with her back resting on the trunk.

She pulled the lid of the box off once she was done with the paper and once again took the slip of paper out and unfolded it.

 ** _I promise to be completely truthful with you, always._**

Emma was pretty sure she already knew a lot about Regina but she also knew that there were still many layers to the woman that she loved, which she did not know yet, but she couldn't wait to spend as long as it took getting to know them.

Emma rested her head back against the trunk just taking in the day so far and how even though she had still to see Regina she had so far managed to see everyone who meant something to her, and those who didn't but were still a part of her life in Storybrooke.

Once again she looked back down at the piece of paper to find the next clue. There, perfectly drawn, was a miniature replica of her fathers' sword drawn to the right hand side. Emma got up from her position and headed back towards the bug hoping he would still be at the station and hadn't got called out.

* * *

Emma pulled back into her Sheriff parking spot at the station and headed into the building. David looked up as he heard the sounds of foot steps coming down the small hallway into the main room of the office. He smiled at his daughter who returned it happily.

"Having a good birthday?" he asked her as she took a seat at one of the desks.

"You know I am, how long has Regina been planning all of this?" she asked as she waved her hand around the room to indicate, well, everything. David gave a small chuckle and shook his head.

"I am not saying anything; I am not getting into trouble with her by giving anything away." He held up both his hand in front of him in a surrender pose. Emma smiled at that and gave a small nod of her head.

"I'm just getting worried that I am going to be getting home late. It isn't long until Regina finishes work and I was hoping I would be there when she got back." Emma looked down at her hands which were now in her lap and firmly clasped together.

David walked over and put a finger under her chin so she would hand to look up at him. She gave her the most heart warming, proud smile.

"Regina did all this for you, Emma. She wants you to do this and so I don't think she is going to mind if you are a little bit late home. Just see where it all leads." He dropped his hand and Emma gave a small smile and nod of her head in return.

David walked over to his office desk and pulled out a box which had been hidden there since Regina came to him. He walked back and placed it on the desk in front of Emma.

"Don't worry; there are not many boxes left. I am guessing you have already worked that out though. Now get going and see where you are headed next." He walked back to his desk, picked up a pile of paperwork that had been sat on the end and headed towards the archive room before turning back at the last second.

"I meant what I said earlier. You don't owe me for today; it was all part of the master plan. Now go and enjoy the rest of your birthday." With that he opened the door and stepped inside.

Emma picked up the box, unwrapped the paper from the outside and threw it in the nearest bin before pulling off the lid and taking out the note.

 ** _I promise I will try, in every way, to be worthy of your love._**

Emma felt the usual burning sensation behind her eyes as tears started to form. She was just now appreciating how much work had gone in to this day. Not only had Regina had to talk to all these people and in a few cases possibly talk them into helping her, she had also taken the time to come up with all these different promises. Emma wiped her fingers across her cheek as a single tear escaped.

She took a deep breath and looked for the next clue. A single bright red apple had been drawn which brought a smile to Emma face. Next stop was her old apartment.

* * *

Emma didn't bother going back to get the bug as her old apartment was just down the street and she thought getting a bit of fresh air would help her refocus and concentrate on what she was doing and why she was doing it.

She came to the front of the small apartment block and headed inside and up the stairs to the faded mint green door. She knocked three times and waiting for Snow to answer.

As the door opened Emma barely had a chance to see her mother before she was engulfed into the biggest hug. After a few second, where she was still over coming the initial shock, she wrapped her own arms around her and gave her strong squeeze back.

Emma still found it difficult at times to accept that she had parents and still fluctuated between called them by their name or Mom and Dad but today was her birthday and she was happier than she had been in her life and so she decided to indulge her mother.

"Hey, Mom." Emma said she still held Snow in her embrace, once she finally let go and Emma did as well, she noticed that Snow had tears waiting to escape and sprinkle her cheeks.

"Happy birthday! Come in please" she walked back into the apartment and into the kitchen where she picked up two mugs and brought them over to the small seating area and placed them onto the table.

Emma smiled as she noticed that one of the mugs, which had to be hers, was a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled over top. Emma took a seat on the worn couch next to her mother and adjusted her position so she facing her a little more.

"Thank you. I know today is always a hard day for you, for us, but I'm here now and I don't plan on going anywhere either. I'm just glad I get to finally spend my birthdays with family." Emma smiled and she reached over and picked up the mug and took a small sip from it.

"Today is always going to be a reminder to me that we lost you Emma, but it's your birthday first and foremost and that is what matters. As long as you are having a good day and are happy that is all I could ever want." She replied and she reached over and grasped one of Emma's hands in her own once Emma had adjusted her hold on her mug.

"I am actually having a wonderful day but I expect you already know everything anyway." Emma replied before taking another large sip from the hot chocolate and then placing it back onto the small table.

"Well I knew the general plan of how today was supposed to go, but I want to hear everything from you." Snow replied still not having taken her eyes off her daughter or stopped smiling since she had opened the door.

So for the next 45 minutes Emma told her mother everything that had happened over the course of the day, from waking up to the note, to everyone she had been to see and places she had visited and had even gone through each promise that the boxes had held knowing that she would never forget what they said.

At the end of her retelling, Snow stood up and held her hand out for a daughter to take before pulling her up off the couch and leading her up the metal stairs to her old bedroom which her parents now used as their own. She pulled Emma into the middle of the space and then turned to face her.

"There is a clothes bag hung on the inside of the wardrobe door and a box next to the chest of draws. You have to open them and put them on before I give you your next box. I will see you down stairs in a few minutes." With that she left the room closing the door behind her.

Emma walked over to the wardrobe and pulled both doors open at once then shutting the one which didn't have the clothes bag on. Emma turned to face the bag running a hand down the outside of the navy material. She was nervous about what she was going to find inside. She lifted a hand and grasped the zipper and pulled it down to the bottom intrigued as to what was hanging within.

Emma pulled back the edges of the zips to look inside and saw a beautiful midnight blue dress. It was fitted at the top to the waist with a v-neck and fell in soft lines to about knee length. It was made in beautiful satin and chiffon material and was soft and silky to the touch.

Emma pulled it out and held it up to her self wondering what exactly the dress was for and what else had been planned without her knowledge. She gently lowered the dress onto the bed and picked up the box from the floor. She opened the lid to find a brand new pair of tall black pumps in her size nestled between sheets of tissue paper.

Emma quickly got changed into the dress and put the high heels onto her feet before walking over to the full length mirror in the corner of the room. The dress flowed beautifully over her body and the neck line showed off just enough cleavage to be deemed socially acceptable.

Emma decided that if Regina was planning on taking her out to dinner tonight, the only reason she could come up with for the outfit change, she wanted to do something with her hair. With skilled hands she quickly braided both side of her head to just behind her ears, pinned the ends of the braids, with clips taken from Snows vanity, to stop them coming undone and then ran a brush through the length of her golden curls.

She looked in the mirror again and decided that she would have to wear her black leather jacket because the weather outside was too cold to leave it. Shrugging into it she checked again that she looked okay with the addition and was surprised to find that it actually looked surprising good with the leather.

She walked across the bedroom and headed back downstairs to where her mother was waiting patiently for her in one of the seats at the table this time. As Snow heard the sound of the heels moving across the floor she looked up as Emma began her decent. Snow got up from her chair and walked over to stand in front of her daughter as she reached the bottom.

"Emma, you look beautiful! Please let me take a picture of you." Snow pleaded with puppy eyes thrown in. Emma couldn't help but chuckle at the look which reminded her so much of Henry.

"Well as this has so far been the best birthday I think that would be okay." Emma replied as Snow was already picking up the camera and turning it on and Emma realising she really didn't have a say in the matter anyway.

Once the picture was taken Snow lead Emma back over to the couch and pointed to the small table once again where instead of two mugs sat a familiar looking box. Emma picked it up and looked at Snow who gave her a nod of encouragement. Emma liked to open these alone but she could see that that was not going to happen so set about opening the gift.

She pulled the piece of paper out of the box and smiled as fresh tears started to form in her eyes again as she read what it said quietly to her self. Emma could practically see Snow vibrating with intrigue over what was written and so held the promise out to her so she could read it herself.

 ** _I promise to you perfect love and perfect trust._**

Following the promise was a small drawing of a writer quill and ink pot. Emma already knew where this note would take her as there were only two people in that whole world that she would want to see on her birthday.

Emma looked back at the note and then to Snow a sudden realisation dawning on her that Henry wasn't with them in the apartment where he should be and if he had the next box there was no way he was going to be with Regina. Before Emma could even voice her question Snow gave her a knowing smile.

"Downstairs, go, your carriage awaits" She smiled but didn't make a move to get off the couch. Emma reached over and wrapped her mom in a hug.

"Thank you Mom." She said as she stood up and then made her way to the front door.

"Happy Birthday" she heard in reply as she stepped out into the hallway again and headed down the stairs to the front of the building. As she looked around for what could be deemed as her carriage she saw the Sheriff's police cruiser pulling up and stopping next to her with David behind the wheel.

Emma opened the door and got into the passenger seat before looking at David who was looking stunned and speechless at Emma new appearance; he cleared his throat and shook his head before offering up an explanation.

"Emma, you look lovely," he said with a proud look before continuing "we are going to go and pick Henry up and then drop him off back at the apartment. I am then going to take you to your final destination, once we know where that is." Emma nodded as David put the cruiser into gear and pulled away from the curb.

* * *

David drove through the streets of Storybrooke heading down towards the sea front; he drove along the road that followed parallel to the beach until he came to the point where Henry's old wooden castle had once stood proud against the chilly, salty sea air.

Emma looked out of the windscreen and could just make out the silhouette of someone stood on the exact spot where it had once stood. There was no mistaking the outline of her son even in the murky inkyness of the dark.

David stopped the cruiser and sat looking at Emma waiting for her to get out of the cruiser and go and speak to him. Emma gave him a slight and uncomfortable smile in return and opened the car door to step out.

The wind had picked up slightly blowing in from the open sea in front of them and the bottom of Emma dress gently blew in the breeze. She walked over to Henry and stood next to him looking out to horizon with him.

"Hey, kid." She said to her son who now stood as tall as she did. He had matured a lot over the last few years going from a boy who saw things as only black and white to a young man who had been through a lot and had shouldered many a burden.

Henry turned very slightly to face more Emma's way and gave her a goofy smile, one she had fallen in love with all those years ago when he had turned up at her apartment announcing himself as her son.

"Hey Ma, you look nice." He said as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace which she easily returned. She cherished these moments with him. It had taken her a long time to feel comfortable doing it, it had never felt natural in the beginning but she had come a long way since then. They all had.

"Thank you," she said into his ear just before he pulled back again and stood looking at her "what are you doing down here?" she ask curious as to why he hadn't been with her Mom.

"Well, even though the castle doesn't stand here anymore, I still think of this as our place. You said it yourself once, it's where we first connected it, where I told you that I knew why you gave me up, to give me my best chance." He put his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a familiar black box, this time it wasn't wrapped in paper. He held it out on his palm in offering to Emma.

"You did give me my best chance. You did the right thing for you, and me, at the time and if you hadn't we would never be where we are now. Everything you have done since you have been here has been for either me or for Mom, but its time for you to have your best chance Ma. Stay and open the box here. Happy birthday, I love you"

Emma reached and took the box from Henry and held it between both of her hands. She stared at her son unable to believe how grown up and mature the person in front of her was, especially compared to the 10 year old who had turned up in Boston. Tears had slipped down her cheeks but she didn't care at this moment she was happier than she had ever been.

She had an amazing, strong, caring girlfriend who had organised this whole treasure hunt day for her birthday and she had a handsome son who stood in front of her wise beyond his years basically telling her that he forgave her, for everything.

Henry walked over to the cruiser and climbed into the back seat before closing the door behind him and leaving Emma in the salty sea air. She turned back to face out to sea and opened the box, catching the small slip of paper between her thumb and index finger before it got caught in the breeze.

She opened the slip of paper and more tears slipped down her cheeks as she read the words printed there. Following the words was a drawing of the towns iconic seal with its circular design and signature apple tree standing strong and proud. This time there was no promise, not in so many words at least.

 _ **Until the end of our days.**_

Emma wiped the tears from her cheeks and walked back to the cruiser sliding into the passenger seat. She looked over her shoulder at Henry giving him a loving smile the radiated warmth, amazement and pride.

"So where are we off to now then?" asked David after a few moments had passed between mother and son. Emma turned and looked at him and gave him a knowing smile. She could tell that David already knew where to take her and he gave a chuckle at her look.

He started the engine again and turned around and headed back into center of Storybrooke making a quick stop outside the apartment to drop Henry off before pulling away again and heading toward the town hall.

Emma was growing more nervous, there was not a single person left in Storybrooke that Emma would want to see except one, and she was hoping now, that Regina would be waiting for her at their next destination.

* * *

Emma was still sat in the passenger seat about 10 minutes later, still being driven around Storybrooke but as she was so lost in thought she didn't realise that they were still not at the town hall or that they had driven past it several times. She was going from staring at her hands in her lap to staring blindly out the window, looking but not really seeing.

So much had happened to her since she had come to the town that she now fondly called home. She had gone from being alone, hunting bad guys in the big bustling city every night to the quaint and quiet town in just the 4 hours it had taken her to drive Henry home 5 years ago to the day and she hadn't left since.

She had gone from being a lost, troubled, orphaned quiet little girl to a woman who had made friends, found her son and had discovered her family basically over night once the original curse had been broken.

Along the way she had also discovered her feelings for Regina. First it had started harmless enough with the odd comment or flirtatious look here and there, but then Regina had started to return these and slowly they had opened themselves up to each other. They had started as friends, slowly learning to navigate and read each other until they could say everything they wanted with a single look.

Then the feelings had started to grow and neither had been satisfied with just being friends, they both wanted more but neither was willing to admit it too the other. It had taken a gentle push from Henry in one of his Operations for them to finally admit how they really felt about each other.

From there their relationship had only grown, fighting side by side, raising Henry together, Emma moving into the mansion, staying up late into the night talking to each other and sharing the pain of both their pasts. Emma had never had that sort of relationship with anyone before, not even Neal.

Emma smiled as she remembered all the times where she had almost ran, all the times she had almost got into her bug and driven away over the town line and to another city because she had been scared. She had never really known love and especially not loves like she had here with Regina, Henry, her parents and her friends. Emma had been absolutely terrified once she realised that the thick, tough, seemingly impenetrable stone walls she had built around her past and her heart were slowly started to crumble and erode away with each passing day.

She still had moments like these, moments of self doubt and insecurity, but it was different now because Regina could see it happening and she was there to comfort and support Emma through it with reassuring words, warm hugs and sweet kisses. She felt safe with Regina, like as long as Emma had her, everything was right with the world. Regina was her home.

Emma shook her head in an attempt to try and bring her self back into the here and now. She suddenly took note of her surroundings and that they were now only just pulling up to the front entrance to the town hall, she looked over at David who was looking at her with a slightly sheepish smile playing across his face.

"You looked like you could use a minute, or 10." He said with a warm, fatherly smile. He reached across with one hand and cupped her cheek wiping away a stray tear that had escaped. "We love you Emma and I am so proud of the woman you have turned into. You had better go inside; I hope you have had a wonderful birthday, so far."

He moved his hand to the back of her head, it getting lost within the soft golden curls and pulled Emma to him for a hug.

"I love you too dad, thank you for everything today." Emma pulled away from the hug and reached over to the door handle and stepped out into the now dark, cold October air. She turned and shut the cruiser door throwing one last shy smile at her father before setting off up the front steps to the town hall.

She pulled open the front door finding them unlocked, as she knew they would be, and entered into the main entrance hall. She took the sweeping stair case up to the first floor where Regina's office was located.

There was a soft orange glow spilling out into the hallway which was coming through the opaque glass window in the office door. Emma walked up to it and stopped just before so that her presence wouldn't be seen through the glass. She didn't know why all of a sudden she was nervous about what she might find.

All day Regina had been making promises to her, little notes of love and affection, little notes that promised of a future together and suddenly Emma began to wonder if she was good enough for Regina. She had always harbored self doubt about what it was that Regina saw in her, about why the brunette had fallen for her in the first place and what made her stick around now. But Emma had absolutely no doubts about the way she felt for Regina and the notes had made her fall for her even more.

But what did Emma have to offer her in exchange? What could Emma possibly give to a woman who had once been a Queen to an entire kingdom? She took a deep breath as she ran her hands over her braids and down to the ends of her hair trying to distract her self from the chorus of butterflies that had just taken flight in the pit of her stomach.

Her need to see Regina was growing by the second but it was a bloody battle with the nerves that she was feeling as well. She took several deep breaths in through her mouth and released it out through her nose.

The blonde stepped in front of the door and suddenly realised she didn't know whether she should knock on the door first or just walk in like she normally did. Emma decided that she would just walk in; she always did before so why change the habit today. She reached out a hand that was noticeably shaking with anticipation and nerves and twisted the handle and pushed the door open.

She stepped into the room which had been transformed from the uniform and cold black and white scheme that Emma was so used to. On every single surface in the office were cream coloured candles of various sizes each one alight with a dancing flame and a fire had also been lit making the office warm and cosy for this time of year.

The first thing Emma noticed as she walked in though was not how the room had been decorated, it wasn't the roaring fire in the fire place or even the temperature change from the hallway to the office; the thing that had immediately caught her attention and held it was the stunning brunette who was stood in front of her desk.

Regina was stood facing the door way looking at Emma as she walked in. She was wearing a tight form fitting plum coloured dress that stopped mid thigh and had a plunging neckline that left little to the imagination. She had on her classic high heeled black pumps and her hair and make up was done to perfection, a smoky eye and a berry colour lipstick that complimented her outfit.

Emma's mouth dropped open slightly as she took in the sight before her still taking steady steps to close the distance between them. Regina was looking at Emma with a shy smile as she looked her girlfriend up and down and at the outfit she had picked out for her.

It wasn't often that Regina got to see Emma in a dress but she treasured the times that she did because she always looked gorgeous. She had also noticed that Emma had also done her hair which was a nice change to her just wearing it long as she normally did.

As Emma came to a stop in front of her, Regina reached out and slid her hands round Emma's waist before pulling her in for a deep and passionate kiss. It didn't take more than a couple of seconds before the pace and intensity of the kisses picked up and Regina was the first to pull away knowing that she had to stay focused on what she had planned.

They were both a little breathless and Emma had a sad look on her face that Regina had stopped the kiss. Regina placed her hands both side of the blondes face and lent in for one last quick kiss before dropping her hands away completely.

"Happy birthday dear, have we had a good day?" she purred at her girlfriend who immediately smiled. Regina took hold of one of Emma's hands and threaded her fingers between the blondes and gently pulled her over to the couch. They both sat down, side by side still looking at each other.

"Regina…" Emma started but didn't really know how to express everything she was feeling or even where to start for that matter. She took a deep breath trying to gather her thoughts but didn't want Regina to think the worst and so kept her attention on her.

"This has been the best birthday I have ever had. The effort and the time it must have taken to organise it all, and having to talk to people I know you would rather avoid like the plague, well it means a lot to me that you would do that for me." This time Emma did look away because voicing that only had her insecurities even more prominent in her mind.

Regina reached out and placed her index finger under her girlfriends chin pulling slightly so Emma would be forced to look back at her.

"Emma I know you too well, there was going to be a but put at the end of that sentence." She tilted her head slightly in an unspoken question and waited for Emma to gather her courage to voice whatever was worrying her.

"It's just, why? Why do all of that for me? I feel like I can never give you enough, I can never be enough and I am always worried that one day you will wake up and realise that too. All the promises you made to me today, I want to make them for you as well, but I don't want to disappoint you if I break one because lets be honest, this is me were talking about and I am bound to mess up sooner or later." She stopped to take a breath but before she could continue Regina placed her index finger against her lips.

"Emma, I did all of this because I love you. I did it because every day you make me smile, everyday you make me laugh, everyday you choose to come home to me. Everyday you make me fall in love with you all over again and I wanted to do something to show you that." Once again she moved her hands to gently cup Emma face and let the pad of her thumbs stoke her cheeks gently.

"All the insecurities you have about me not wanting you, I have them too. I wonder how someone so beautiful and caring could love an ex evil queen. I wonder how you manage to see past all of my mistakes and see me for who I am trying to be now. I made you those promises Emma but I'm not going to promise you that I won't mess up either because I probably will. But for as long as you will have me I will try every day to keep them and keep showing you everything you mean to me."

Regina took her hands off of Emma face and brought one it so that it was lead flat, palm facing the ceiling in between both of them. In a swirl of purple smoke another little black velvet box appeared and Regina held her hand out a little closer to Emma to encourage her to take it.

"I meant every single word that was in those promises Emma and I especially meant the one that Henry gave you." Emma took the black box from Regina's palm and opened it. She pulled out the slip of paper before she put the black box on the table in front of them and then unfolded it. Typed onto the piece of paper were the words,

 _ **Emma, will you marry me?**_

Emma looked from the paper and back up to Regina who was sat quite calm and still but with a slightly anxious look on her face. As Emma looked back down at the piece of paper it swirled in purple smoke again and once cleared a few second later, Emma was holding a ring between her thumb and index finger.

It was a classic and elegant design and it was a wonderful choice for Regina to pick as it matched her perfectly. However it was also very much a perfect match for Emma. It was a round cut diamond with a deep, dark sapphire either side which perfectly matched the colour of the dress she was currently wearing.

Emma looked back up at Regina who was growing more concerned by the minute because for once Emma was being quiet and Regina was panicking that Emma was going to get up and run. A soft smile spread slowly across Emma's face and she held the ring out to Regina to take.

"Of course I will marry you Regina!" Emma said as she flung her arms around the brunettes neck once she had taken the ring and pulled her as close as she could all the while kissing deeply and passionately trying to convey everything she was feeling.

Emma pulled back and held out her left hand so that Regina could slip the ring onto her finger, it was a perfect fit. Emma looked back up to Regina and pulled her close again getting completely and utterly lost in the moment. She let out a small moan as Regina pulled away and stood up from her position on the couch. She held her hand out for Emma to take and Emma gladly accepted.

"Come on, I have another surprise for you." She walked them both over to the office door and opened it. She turned back and faced into the office waving her hand so that all the candles and the fire were extinguished all at once. Regina then lead them both back down the stairs towards the main hall of the building. Regina stopped just outside of the closed doors but didn't let go of her fiances hand giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I love you Emma, more than I could ever show or tell you, but I am so happy that you are willing to give me our whole lives to try." This time Emma reached up and cupped the brunette's cheek placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

"I love you too and I will give you my whole life and more if it makes you happy, that's all I ever want. You and Henry are everything to me and I want us all to get our happy endings together." Emma dropped her hand from Regina's face after once again placing another kiss onto her lips.

Regina gestured to Emma to walk through the doors but kept a tight grip on the blondes hand, partially because she knew what lay beyond the doors and also because she never wanted to let Emma go again. Emma grasped the handle to the door and pushed it open.

As she did a giant cheer of happy birthday and congratulations filled the room from the waiting crowd inside and a confetti canon went off in the corner of the room, showering everyone with a mixture of purple and blue shiny hearts. Snow was the first person to reach Emma and pull her into a massive hug which was closely followed by Henry and then David.

The rest of the night was filled with laughter, music, food, drink and great company. Everyone who had given Emma a box throughout the day, except Gold and Hook, was in attendance as well as some of the other inhabitants of the town. It was extremely late by the time the party started winding down and Snow and David said they would take Henry back to their apartment for the night.

The whole evening, the whole day, had been absolutely perfect in Emma's eyes and all the insecurities that had been there earlier in the day were now just dull whispers in the back of her mind. Seeing Regina, being with her and seeing the pure love that had shone in her eyes when they had been in the office had been enough for Emma to able to tame her past demons and just accept that the brunette really did love her.

For the whole night she had not broken her grip on Regina's hand and Regina had made no move to release Emma either, both needing to be close by the other and neither wanting to let their other go, not ever again.

Once the last of the guests had all left, Emma and Regina headed back to the mansion leaving the clearing up until the following day. Walking through the front door Emma kicked off her heels and pulled Regina close to her.

"Thank you, for everything you did for me today. You really are an amazing, beautiful, smart and caring woman and I am so proud and happy, to be able to call you mine. I love you Regina."

"I love you too Emma. Until the end of our days?"

"And beyond."


End file.
